At the Drive-In split up before many fans got a chance to experience their ever-expanding brand of post-hardcore fury. Consequently, despite more than a decade-and-a-half of activity from band members, who continued to collaborate with one another, reunion rumours ran rampant. After tentative steps, they fulfilled many fans dreams with a full reunion tour in 2016. They made things official earlier this month when the group — minus original guitarist Jim Ward — dropped In*ter A*li*a (on Rise Records), their first new album in 17 years.
1. Guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López hitchhiked around the U.S. as a teenager.
Rodríguez-López drops out of school at 17 to go on tour [with his band Startled Calf], but is stranded in Berkeley after his bandmates are arrested. He begins hitchhiking around the country. To fund a growing heroin habit, he sells acid to Deadheads and eventually his guitar.
2. At the Drive-In were on Grand Royal Records because dot-com media company Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), who signed the group, went belly up.
DEN is a quintessential victim of the dot-com bubble, going bust in May. [Gary] Gersh and [John] Silva, who co-own Grand Royal Records with the Beastie Boys, absorb the label and its roster, signing a new distribution deal with Virgin Records for the new additions. Rodríguez-López says the deal was based solely on Virgin wanting At the Drive-In.
3. Despite their relative low-profile, producer Ross Robinson had to convince At the Drive-In to let him produce their album.
The band record with producer Ross Robinson, highly associated with the then wildly popular nu-metal genre after producing records for Korn and Limp Bizkit. Cognizant of his public rep, Robinson sees At the Drive-In as a way out of the nu-metal ghetto. At the Drive-In are wary, but Robinson agrees to record a single song free of charge to prove his worth to the group.
4. Iggy Pop sings on Relationship of Command because he liked Robinson's work with Limp Bizkit.
According to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Iggy Pop becomes a fan of Robinson's production work after hearing Limp Bizkit's "Nookie," and the two strike up a relationship. Robinson tells Pop about At the Drive-In and passes older releases to the singer who likes what he hears. Pop sings on "Rolodex Propaganda" and voices the ransom note read at the beginning of "Enfilade."
5. Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez formed Antemasque after plans for a new At the Drive-In album fell apart.
They form Antemasque with drummer David Elitch and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea. The songs are apparently material originally pegged for new At the Drive-In material, but scheduled sessions for a reunion release never get off the ground when Ward, who saw strains of the band's 2001 implosion in Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López's recent disagreement, refuses to partake.
1. Guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López hitchhiked around the U.S. as a teenager.
Rodríguez-López drops out of school at 17 to go on tour [with his band Startled Calf], but is stranded in Berkeley after his bandmates are arrested. He begins hitchhiking around the country. To fund a growing heroin habit, he sells acid to Deadheads and eventually his guitar.
2. At the Drive-In were on Grand Royal Records because dot-com media company Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), who signed the group, went belly up.
DEN is a quintessential victim of the dot-com bubble, going bust in May. [Gary] Gersh and [John] Silva, who co-own Grand Royal Records with the Beastie Boys, absorb the label and its roster, signing a new distribution deal with Virgin Records for the new additions. Rodríguez-López says the deal was based solely on Virgin wanting At the Drive-In.
3. Despite their relative low-profile, producer Ross Robinson had to convince At the Drive-In to let him produce their album.
The band record with producer Ross Robinson, highly associated with the then wildly popular nu-metal genre after producing records for Korn and Limp Bizkit. Cognizant of his public rep, Robinson sees At the Drive-In as a way out of the nu-metal ghetto. At the Drive-In are wary, but Robinson agrees to record a single song free of charge to prove his worth to the group.
4. Iggy Pop sings on Relationship of Command because he liked Robinson's work with Limp Bizkit.
According to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Iggy Pop becomes a fan of Robinson's production work after hearing Limp Bizkit's "Nookie," and the two strike up a relationship. Robinson tells Pop about At the Drive-In and passes older releases to the singer who likes what he hears. Pop sings on "Rolodex Propaganda" and voices the ransom note read at the beginning of "Enfilade."
5. Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez formed Antemasque after plans for a new At the Drive-In album fell apart.
They form Antemasque with drummer David Elitch and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea. The songs are apparently material originally pegged for new At the Drive-In material, but scheduled sessions for a reunion release never get off the ground when Ward, who saw strains of the band's 2001 implosion in Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López's recent disagreement, refuses to partake.
